Gas treating apparatus and method



p 18, 1956 c. a. SCHNEIBLE T AL 2,763,337

GAS TREATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Dec. 51, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS.

c. B. SCHNEIBLE T AL 2,763,337

GAS TREATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Sept. 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 31, 1952 INVENTORS.

BY ,J ATTORNEYS United States Patent" 2,763,337 GAS TREATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Claude B. Schneible, Detroit, Alvin S. Lundy, Huntington Woods, and Leslie C. Beers, Detroit, Mich., assignors to Claude B. Schneible Company, Inc., Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application December 31, 1952, Serial No. 328,902 6 Claims Cl. 183-41) This invention relates to a gas-treating apparatus and method. The invention is particularly useful as an emission-collecting device for open-top cupolas and the like. It will be obvious, however, that the invention is applicable to many other uses in which different types of gases are treated and discharged.

An object of the invention is to provide means for the withdrawal of contaminated gases or gases bearing foreign or particulate matter, cleaning and cooling the gases, and employing at least a portion of the cleaned and cooled gases for forming an air curtain on the outer side of the gas withdrawal duct whereby the gases are retained against escape for complete circulation through the scrubbing or cleaning apparatus. A further object is to provide such a means and method for the recycling of gases and re-use of the cleaned gases while at the same time providing for the discharge of a portion of the recycled clean gases, the arrangement being such that upon failure of the circulating power means, the uncleaned gases from the stack or conduit will be vented normally to the atmosphere and with-out requiring the use of mechanical valve apparatus, etc.

A further object is to provide a structure in which the total volume of cleaned gases can be proportioned to discharge to the atmosphere or to provide an aircurtain across the stack or conduit. Yet another object is to provide refractory lined exhaust means for withdrawing hot gases from a cupola or stack outlet, etc., treating the same to cool and wash the gases, and then utilizing a blower for distributing the gases to form an air curtain across the stack top While venting some of the cleaned gases.

Yet another object is to provide a means and method for treating air and products of combustion from the stack together with air drawn into the charging opening to provide a proper control of velocity at the stack opening and providing a gas curtain there-over. Yet another object is to provide a system by which a plurality of .cupolas, stacks, or other conduits may be controlled throughthe recycling of gases andthe utilization of cleaned gases, while at the same time providing for the by-passing of such recycling conduits in the event of failure of some component of the collecting system. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is shown in an illustrative embodiment by the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, an enlarged broken vertical sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a side view in elevation.

In the illustration given, 10 designates a pair of cupolas, stacks, conduits or other sources or means for the collection of gases. It will be understood that the stacks 10 described herein are merely illustrative of the many types of conduits through which gases may be discharged. About the upper end of each conduit or stack 10 is secured a casing 11, which provides a discharge chamber 12 forming'an extension of the stack passage. The casing 11 also provides about the discharge chamber or passage 12 an annular exhaust chamber 13 which communicates with the passage through the ports 14. Leading downwardly from the exhaust or collecting chamber 13 is a conduit 15, which enters the lower portion of the tower 16 in which the gases are cleaned and scrubbed by contact with liquid, etc. The conduits 15 from the two cupolas or stack-s 10 merge in a single conduit 15'. The tower or scrubber 16 may be any suitable structure for the cooling or cleaning of the gases and may, for example, be a column such as is described in Schneible Patents 2,114,786 and 2,197,595.

The cooled and cleaned gases are drawn 011 from the top of the column 16 through a downwardly-extending conduit 17 to the suction end of a blower 18. The discharge end of the blower forces the gases through the conduit 19 toward the annular supply chamber 20 and the annular discharge chamber 21. The conduit 19 preferably forms a manifold 19 communicating at either end with the annular chambers 20 and 21. A manuallycontrolled damper 22 is provided for proportioning the flow of the gases between the supply chamber 20 and the discharge chamber 21.

In the supply chamber 20, we provide a plurality of spaced louvers 23 and a plurality'of discharge passages 24 extending through the casing 11 and into the discharge chamber 12. The streams of gases forced through the passages 24 form a curtain across the passage 12 so as to substantially seal the passage against the out-flow of the contaminated gases, while, at the same time, the cleaned gases dilute the contaminated gases which are to be recirculated.

The discharge chamber 21 is provided with spaced louvers 25 which discharge the air from chamber 21 upwardly and inwardly over the passage 12.

1 When the apparatus is employed for handling hot combustion gases, as from a cupola or other stack, we prefer to line the interior walls of casing 11 with refractory material 26. Such refractory material extends also about chamber 13 and lines the conduits 15 and 15' leading to the column 16. The ducts 15 and 15 are preferably provided with expansion joints and may be equipped with water-cooled shut-cit dampers. If desired, the ducts leading from the fan or blower 18 may similarly be provided with expansion joints and may be equipped also with a shut-off damper 27 or a plurality of such dampers. The conduit 19 leading from the fan communicates with the supply chamber 20 and the discharge chamber 21 about both of the stacks 10, as shown more clearly in Fig. 1. Compensating air from outside the apparatus may :be added either at the inlet port of the fan or in the The gases from the conduit 10, as, for example, hot gases of combustion, are drawn through the openings 14 in the side wall of the casing 11 by the suction of fan 18. The gases are drawn through ducts 15 and 15' to the liquid scrubber or column 16, where particulate matter, sulphur compounds, etc. are cleaned out of the gases and where the gases are cooled. The cleaned cooled gases are drawn through fan 18 and forced through duct 19 to the supply chambers 20 and discharge chambers 21 about the respective stacks 10. The gases discharged through the openings 24 act as a gas curtain to prevent leakage of hot gases up through the passage 12 which forms a continuation of the stack passage. Such gases discharged through ports 24 may be almost entirely used as a diluent of the uncleaned gases of combustion. The remaining gases forced through the discharge chamber 21 are vented the cupola blower, products of combustion, and air pulled in through the charging opening to provide a proper control velocity at the curtain-forming openings 24. This portion of the gas discharged through the openings 24 forms an effective gas curtain over the passage and prevents the passage of gas and contaminants to the atmosphere without first being cleaned. By operating the regulating damper 22, the correct amount of gas required for the gas curtain can be obtained, while the remainder may be discharged to the atmosphere. By proper setting of the shut-off dampers, the emissions from either of the pair of cupolas or stacks may be controlled, or, in the event of failure of some component of the collecting systern, the collecting system can be by-passed, as all parts in contact with the hot gas stream are insulated.

With the system of gas cleaning described, there is no mechanical valve apparatus to prevent leakage of uncleaned gases up the stack, the cleaned gas curtain acting as the shut-off medium. Thus in the event of failure of fan 18, the uncleaned gases of combustion would be vented to the atmosphere without mechanism. The failure of any actuating part would, therefore, not force a shut-down of the process nor would it partially destroy the mechanism as by heat, etc.

As a matter of convenience, the apparatus herein has been shown applied to a pair of cupolas or stacks. It will be understood that the apparatus is equally applicable to a single stack or to a larger number of stacks.

While, in the foregoing specification, we have set forth a specific structure in considerable detail for the purpose of illustrating one embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that such details of structure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for the treating of gases from a stack, comprising a stack, a casing having openings therein and providing a conduit extension of the stack passage, means providing an annular chamber about said casing above the stack outlet, said chamber communicating through said openings with the conduit extension, means providing an annular supply chamber above said first-mentioned annular chamber, ports establishing communication between the supply chamber and the interior of the conduit extension above said first-mentioned annular chamber, means for supplying gas to said supply chamber for the forming of a gas curtain across said conduit extension, means providing a discharge chamber about said conduit extension, and means for cleaning gases withdrawn through said first-mentioned annular chamber and for dividing the cleaned gases between said supply chamber and said discharge chamber, said means including a conduit for said cleaned gases communicating with said supply chamber and said discharge chamber and being arranged to apportion the gases flowing through said chambers.

2. Apparatus including a'stack for the treating of gases, comprising a casing having openings therein and providing a conduit extension of the stack passage, means providing an annular chamber about said casing above the stack outlet, said chamber communicating through said openings with the conduit extension, means providing an annular supply chamber above said first-mentioned annular chamber, ports establishing communication between the supply chamber and the interior of the conduit extension above said first-mentioned annular chamber, means for supplying gas to said supply chamber for the forming of a gas curtain across said conduit extension, means providing a discharge chamber about said conduit extension, and means for cleaning gases withdrawn through said first-mentioned annular chamber and for dividing the cleaned gases between said supply chamber and said discharge chamber, said means comprising a conduit for said cleaned gases communicating with said supply chamber and said discharge chamber, and a damper swingable across said conduit to apportion the gases flowing through said chambers.

3. The structure of claim 1, in which the discharge chamber is provided with a plurality of louvers directed upwardly and inwardly for the discharge of gases to the atmosphere above said conduit extension.

4. The structure of claim 1, in which the supply chamber is provided with louvers controlling the flow of gases through said ports and across said conduit extension.

5. Apparatus for the treatment of gases discharging through a stack, comprising a stack, means providing a chamber about said stack adjacent the outlet thereof, said chamber communicating with the interior of said stack, means providing a supply chamber about said stack and above said first-mentioned chamber, said supply chamber being in communication with the interior of said stack above said first-mentioned chamber, means for supplying gas to said supply chamber for forming a gas curtain across said stack, means providing a discharge chamber about said stack and above said supply chamber, and means for withdrawing gases through said first-mentioned chamber and for cleaning the same and thereafter dividing the cleaned gases between said supply chamber and discharge chamber, said last-mentioned means comprising a conduit for said cleaned gases communicating with said 'supply chamber and said discharge chamber and apportioning said cleaned gases ther'ebetween.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said last-mentioned means comprises with said conduit a damper swingable thereacross to apportion the gases flowing through said chambers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 682,422 Parshall Sept. 10, 1901 1,264,263 Brassert Apr. 30, 1918 1,665,754 Pritchard Apr. 10, 1928 1,948,348 Gerhold Feb. 20, 1934 2,051,567 McGee Aug. 18, 1936 2,074,317 Allan et al. Mar. 23, 1937 2,257,516 Roche et al Sept. 30, 1941 

